In the semifinals of the winner’s bracket of the Peach State Classic, Emmanuel Rainey scored 27 points, including five 3-pointers, but Tri-Cities was unable to keep pace with Wenonah (AL) en route to a 71-63 setback Friday afternoon.

Derrunya Wilson scored 14 points, Justin Coleman added 13 and Isaiah Maston finished with 11 for Wenonah, which will play for the tournament championship Saturday evening. Tri-Cities will compete for a third-place finish earlier in the afternoon.

After the Dragons scored the first seven points of the contest, both teams struck quickly and kept one another from creating much distance. The Bulldogs built a seven-point lead twice in the third quarter but only led by two with 8 minutes left.

In the final frame, a 3-pointer by Rainey with 3:55 to go pulled Tri-Cities even at 59-59. But Wenonah scored the next five points during the decisive 12-4 run.

The Dragons’ full-court pressure was a key factor in the game and balanced out their inability to convert a plethora of easy layups.

Along with leading all scorers, Rainey also had the biggest highlight of the contest, swishing a 3-point shot from just past half court to beat the halftime buzzer.

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